Congratulations! It's a Frenchie!
Since Bennie has some special needs, I thought it may be easier to link to the items we use with him.
Food
Bennie eats about 3oz of Answers Detailed (or Straight) protein twice a day (6 oz total). We use mostly Pork, but also rotate in Beef and Duck (the chicken and turkey formulas have a different consistency and do not work as well)
There's been some changes to Answers lately following the owners' divorce. She was starting a line named Kure, but of course there's legal drama from the divorce and that got put on hold. So I've also been using Tucker's raw and he's done well also. The consistency of these 2 foods work so well for the ones with megaesophagus symptoms. |
Bennie also gets some Answers Kefir or Goats Milk with his meals. I dont really measure , but I did the last few days and it's about 2 oz of dairy along with his food.
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I put this on his LickiMats, or a dollop on his food instead of Kefir or Goats Milk.
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I mostly used the Answers Kefir with him because of the consistency (it's thicker), but like I mentioned above with the divorce I started branching out to other products. Primal has lots of fun flavors of Goats Milk which gives variety. Open Farm Kefir is another option and is thicker too. I get all of this at PetPeople or CityDogs
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If he gets a little more one meal, I give a little less the next meal. He's maintaining a good weight right now on this amount; but just monitor his appearance/weight and adjust as needed. If he's getting extra cals from training, he may need less food.
He's eating his pills in pill pockets now. Or you can roll them into meatballs of his food and hand feed them like in the video above. If you just put them in his food he'll refuse to eat lol
He's eating his pills in pill pockets now. Or you can roll them into meatballs of his food and hand feed them like in the video above. If you just put them in his food he'll refuse to eat lol
Treats
He tends to eventually throw up any hard treats. I really dont use any treats outside of training. For training you can either dip a spatula in PB , Goats Whip, or even squirt a little squeeze cheese on it.
And then offer one lick as a reward instead of an actual cookie/treat.
Another option that a lot of mega-e dogs have success with are Gerber Puffs and Yogurt Drops. I tried the Yogurt Drops with him and he wasn't really interested. He would just leave them on the floor lol They actually only distribute them in the cooler months because they melt during shipping. I get the from Carolina Pet Pantry.
And then offer one lick as a reward instead of an actual cookie/treat.
Another option that a lot of mega-e dogs have success with are Gerber Puffs and Yogurt Drops. I tried the Yogurt Drops with him and he wasn't really interested. He would just leave them on the floor lol They actually only distribute them in the cooler months because they melt during shipping. I get the from Carolina Pet Pantry.
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Bowls
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The Fluff Trough is made specifically for flat faced breeds.
The elevated feeder is ideal for the French Bulldog spine... and the open entry is ideal for their flat face. Bennie eats out of the regular size. They do have a Binge Blocker to slow down feeding, but he does fine with a regular one. In fact, he just stops eating if it's too much work in the Binge Blocker I've tried feeding him in his crate, and he usually won't eat if he thinks you left him. He will eat in a crate if the can see you though. I roll his pills into little meatballs, or stick them in a spoonful of food, and then hand feed those; then I put his Fluff Trough down for him to eat the rest on his own. He will at around pills. And if they touch the food for more than a second he will absolutely refuse to eat it lol |
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Licki Mats have been a lifesaver for crate training! I smear PB, Pumpkin (not his fav), cooked smashed sweet potato, squeeze cheese, or Goats Whip on them to put in his crate.
For water, he does fine with a standard Glass , Stainless Steal, or Ceramic bowl. No plastic.
Toy Preferences
He loves all the BarkBox toys. We do have a code for Barkbox Subscription - you can customize it to be toy online/no treats. http://barkbox.com/hoosierbulldogrescue
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Benebones are paws down the favorite chew toy around here. They love the classic wishbone and the stick...but the new FishBone is the by far the favorite. They go insane for it. Sometimes if I dont want to go get a lickimat for his crate, I just smear some peanut butter on the benebone for him to lick off and then he chews on it for awhile in his crate.
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He loves the ones that come inside toys with BarkBox.
He also likes the plastic spikey ones (pictured above) that are often at HomeGoods for like $4. |
No rawhides.
Although I really like Himalyan chews, they tend to work up a lot of saliva, which increases regurgitation for him. He can have one for just a short period of time. He can also do a Whimzee for a few minutes at a time.
Deer antlers are very hard and often lead to cracked teeth. I've heard better things about Moose Antlers because they're softer. I want to try one but I just haven't yet.
Although I really like Himalyan chews, they tend to work up a lot of saliva, which increases regurgitation for him. He can have one for just a short period of time. He can also do a Whimzee for a few minutes at a time.
Deer antlers are very hard and often lead to cracked teeth. I've heard better things about Moose Antlers because they're softer. I want to try one but I just haven't yet.
Supplements
VetriScience Disc Support - this is recommended by our neurologist. I use it with most of the Frenchies that come just for extra support since they're all predisposed to spinal issues. Out of all the supplements listed here, this one I think is most important for him.
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I'm obsessed with this Carna4 Flora4 and give it to all the dogs now lol It's a great digestive support. I mix it with Bennie's Answers kefir so it's like creamy.
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I love the healing properties of Mushrooms. I use mostly Super Snouts Super Shrooms. This would be a great addition for continued immune support.
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I think this SeaMeal really keeps his skin/coat looking healthy. I notice a difference when he's on it.
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Fish oil is great for joints and skin. We use mostly UltraOil, which we get at PetPeople or CityDogs.
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AnimalEO was created by veterinarian Melissa Shelton. We use a ton of her line for different issues. The calmomile blend is so good for calming. I either diffuse this or mix with distilled water and give a tiny spritz in his crate. I use this a lot for new intakes that are stressed....and with my dogs who have to deal with the frequent ins and outs of other dogs ;)
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I use AnimalEO Away and Oust for flea/tick/mosquito repellant, but the Away is also very good for mange/mites. I mix with fractionated coconut oil and rub all over his skin. I did this daily when he had mange. Now, I just do it a couple times a week for general bug repellent.
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AnimalEO Any-Itis is great for inflammation. I used this for both his spine and his skin. I use it a lot with the senior dogs and with Hermione's IBD. 1 drop in food daily. They also have a "Lite" version which is slightly diluted. This isn't necessary to continue but wanted you to see if it you think it may be good to have on hand.
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Skin care / Hygiene
I really like Project Sudz shampoo bars. I used the medicated one for his skin. We also use a lot of Natural Dog Co and Skouts Honor
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Snout Soother keeps the nose nice and soft. Bulldogs are prone to cracked noses. I apply it about once a week for maintenance. If it gets cracked you'll want to apply it daily or every couple days until it's soft again.
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We did not use neurotoxins to treat his mange. We treated his mange mostly with the above mentioned Oust by AnimalEO, but I also rotated it with Natural Dog Company Skin Soother and Wondercide's Skin Tonic. Both of these are great to have on hand. The Skin Tonic is also nice for cuts or bug bites. Richards Organics also has a Skin Spray that smells delightful. I really don't use anything consistently on his skin now. I think you would be good to pick any one of these to keep up with his chest/front legs for a bit longer. The hair is growing back but not yet thick. The rest of his body looks amazing!
"Clothing"
A well fit harness will distribute the pressure from his trachea and spine.
Some great harnesses for French Bulldogs include Frenchie Bulldog Co, Pawmigo, Frenchie Store, Big & Little Dogs, or Bonez & Bitchez. Most have both the reversible harness as pictured above, as well as a strap harness. He wears a L or XL. The BullHug harness is another super great option. They slide on super easy for walks. He wears a size Small in Bullhug. |
Dr Morgan sent us a few of these belly bands and they're amazing ! Very good quality. He is potty trained and doesn't mark in the house. But he did potty in his crate at first. He hasn't done that in a long time, but they can often revert back to old behavior after a transition to a new home. I usually either put down a washable potty pad in his crate on top of a blanket (I like the ones from Dr Morgan but there's lots of options on Amazon- Max & Neo donate a lot to our rescue also).... or you could put a belly band on him.
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Crates
Due to his separation anxiety, we recommend one of the following styles of crates... he will bend the bars of a normal wire crate.
Airline Crate - this is what I use upstairs for him. It's very easy to wipe down with a Clorox wipe inside. He initially chewed on the wire door, but hasn't done that in a couple months now.
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I like the thick bars on this one. They can't bend or break. But the bottom has bars so it needs a heavier blanket or bed to be comfortable. I have this downstairs for him.
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This is one of the best crates on the market for travel safety and keeping anxious dogs secure. It also comes in cute colors BUT it has a VERY hefty price tag.
I do not own one of these yet lol |
I've linked most things to Chewy or Amazon. If you do order supplements online, I recommend Chewy ...we've had several concerns about quality of supplements on Amazon.
Some great local stores include City Dogs Grocery and PetPeople.
Carolina Pet Pantry is also a great option ... Courtney runs Bullies 2 The Rescue and she uses proceeds generated from her store to support her rescue.
And we also get a lot of stuff from Dr Judy Morgan's website as well.
If you have any questions feel free to call/text/email me!
